Strive
by Jayyburdd
Summary: Falkner is an average Gym Leader, who goes on with his duties leisurely each day. That is, until he gets letter from a woman named Cynthia. She invites him to a World Tournament, where the best of the best will strive to become the world champion. Rated T for possible language.
1. Chapter 1

I smiled. "Pidgeotto, Return."

We had just successfully beaten another challenger, who was looking at his fainted Pokemon and absolutely dumbstruck. It was a Magnemite, and a strong little guy at that, but the trainer had gotten too cocky. The type advantage stuck in his head, and it was the reason he lost. Pidgeotto was insanely fast, and kept wearing the Pokemon down.

"Better luck next time, kid." I said with a reassuring smile. The kid looked at me a few seconds, surprised by the kindness. I didn't seem like the nicest looking individual at first glance. My default facial feature seemed to be a small frown, after all.

"Thank you." He said, scurrying off with his Pokemon in his hands to the PokeCenter. I had wondered vaguely if he was to be the next champion. I wondered that with every challenger that walked through the door, but I had reason to. They had to enter and challenge my Gym to have a chance at becoming the best trainer in Johto. They had to defeat me, and upon doing that, receive my badge.

"Mister Falkner. The Mail Pelliper arrived with a letter. It seems important."

The voice came from below in a shout. My gym was rather tall, having the battle field in the air. I looked down through one of the transparent tiles of the floor, and sure enough, one of my subordinates was waving an eggshell colored envelope. I could make out a small Pokeball sticker sealing it in the middle.

"I'll be down, Valerie." I called back. I had planned to do some night training, now with the sky turning a beautiful shade of scarlet. I supposed it would have to wait a moment. I walked across the clear glass path to an elevator, and descended to the ground. It was whirring softly during this time, and the sound seemed rather nice. It assured me that I didn't have to call a mechanic to fix it any time soon. It brought me back to the day when a challenger got stuck in it mid ascent. I had to use my flying Pokemon to get him up and back down.

The elevator made a satisfied _fft_, and the doors in front of me opened to show Valerie and the letter. She outstretched her arm to me.

"Thank you." I said with a smile, again something that would have surprised anyone who hadn't known me. I was a solemn person, but not a bitter one. Such a pity how first impressions meant so much. "You may pick up your paycheck up front and leave. I'll close the gym."

She bowed, a usual custom in this town. We at Violet City were a traditional people, who mixed metropolitan and old customs in an interesting and nice way. The town was only about five square miles in perimeter, which was considered small in comparison to places like Olivine City, and miniature to Goldenrod.

I took a look at the letter in my hands. It was a Pokeball sticker, as I had suspected. I carefully peeled it off, and lifted the envelope. A very decorative paper was tucked in it, neatly folded. I gingerly opened it. A picture of a large building, decorated at the front with the regional flags, was at the bottom. A golden trim, with pictures of contest ribbons and Pokeballs intertwined, outlined the paper. The words were typed out in jet black cursive. They read:

"_Dear Recipient,_

_ The fact that you got this letter means you have been invited to the most prestigious battling competition in the world. My name is Cynthia, and I am the current champion of the Sinnoh Region_

_ Next Saturday, on March 5, I am going to start something called the Pokemon World Tournament. Here, the best of the best will battle it out to be crowned the World Champion of Pokemon. Every Gym Leader will be present, as well as great trainers around the world that I have noticed in my researching. It will be a full on tourney._

_ Of course, if you do not decide to go, I understand. It will be held in a battling facility south of Driftveil City, in Unova. _

_ Thank you, and happy battling~_

_~Cynthia"_

I stared at the paper for a while, taking in what I had read. Pokemon World Tournament, huh? In Unova? At first I thought it was impossible to abandon the Gym to attend this. Of course, though, I then remembered that most of the Gym Leaders will probably attend this, casting their strongest subordinate as the temporary Gym Leader.

I also had never been the Unova. It was so far away from Johto, but it had some interesting Pokemon in it. I could catch some flying type Pokemon, and maybe have a chance at winning.

Falkner. Pokemon World Champion. It had a nice ring to it.

But I dreadfully remembered the strong trainers that would probably be there. Lance, my region's champion. Clair, Blue, Lt. Surge. Red.

I cringed at Red's name. That guy was insanely strong. Although he never challenged the Johto Gyms when I was leader, I heard of his achievements. What a breathtaking individual.

My father died. I am sorry if I had to suddenly bring up such news, but this happened a year ago. He was the old Gym Leader, and he was the one who fought Red 2 years ago. After he passed away, I filled in, and since then, I have been striving to become stronger. My Pidgey became a Pidgeotto a few months after I became Gym Leader, but he never evolved after that. I have trained him for so long, but no Pidgeot.

I dreamt of that day.

Back to reality, Falkner. I would sleep on the possibility of attending the World Tournament, and have my answer by morning. Hopefully…

Sighing and slightly irked, I turned off the Gym's lights, and locked the doors.

_Eheh. You could see my writing muse flowing down the toilet at the end there. ;u; This still seems like an interesting story to write. I have been wanting to write of this all day, and only just came up with who I wanted for the main character. There are not a lot of good Gym Leaders who are males. D:_

_Well, see you all later. Thank you for being interested in my story and stuff~_

_~Jay_


	2. Chapter 2

That night, at sat at the desk of my bedroom. My Pokeballs were in a row, their ruby colored side glistening in the light of the desk lamp. I had five currently on my team. In my mind, I went through each team member.

_Pidgeotto. Given by my father. Yet to evolve, but still as tough as the rest of my team._

_Fearow. Met while training near some tall grass. Proud and fun-loving. Always loves a good battle._

_Xatu. Received when hiking with some friends in the community through a forest. Calm and meditates a lot._

_Noctowl. Received on my way to visiting the professor as a little Hoothoot in my early days. Was one of _

_my first Pokemon with Pidgeotto._

_Crobat. Met in a cave on the way to a League exam. Seems attached to me since I had to be extra friendly to it for it to jolly for a Crobat._

Five Pokemon. Five creatures under my care. I was sure they were tough, but how tough? Could they hold their own against a team of Electric or Ice types? Could they really be Champion worthy? I shook my head at these outrageous questions. I was doubting my team. It was worth a shot to try to compete in this competition, and anyhow, it would be great to go to Unova for the first time. Plus, I wondered what flying type Pokemon lived in Unova….

It was decided. I was going to Unova and competing in the World Tournament. This decision made me smile, as I turned off the lamp, and got into bed.

I awoke to the sound of my alarm: the worst sound in the universe. Turning it over with an unpleasant groan, I sleepily sat up and went with my morning activities. I had about a week until I had to go to Unova. In the envelope containing the invitation was a key card for the facility's hotel, so at least I didn't have to make a reservation, but I still needed to pack and train extra hard.

I had thought about trying to evolve Pidgeotto at nightfall. It was easier said than done, of course, but it was worth another shot. It had to be strong enough for this tournament.

I was out the door in 30 minutes. I lived in my dad's old house, which was two floors high and had 2 bedrooms. I didn't have to pay for the house itself, but only the bills. The elderly of Violet City greeted me. I few lived next door, and were incredibly nice people.

I lived near the Sprout Tower as well. The path to it was at the end of my street. It was a two red bridges with an island in the middle. The island had a fountain and some park benches, but was very small. At the end of the second bridge was the wobbly tower. Monks inhabited it. Falkner thought they were odd, himself, but never really said anything of the sorts out loud. He just kept out of their way.

The Gym was already opened by one of his underlings. All three were there already, actually. They all said a good morning, and I returned the gesture. I proceeded to then tell them of the letter, and the tournament.

"Are you going?" Steve, a nice boy who wore a lot of blue, asked. I rubbed the back of my head. "Yes. I am. I would like you to take care of the Gym while I am gone. I don't know how long it will be."

"How exciting!" said Valerie, the girl who had given me the letter in the first place. She clutched her Hoppip in his arms. "A tournament! We will be cheering you on, Mister Falkner!"

I was happy to have fans in my friends. "Thank you." I said warmly. I didn't think I would actually win a single battle, but this at least gave me a tad more confidence. I ascended the elevator, my three subordinates (the third one being a shy girl by the name of Melody) staying on the ground to battle the trainers first. Almost immediately, a bright eyed girl appeared in the doorway, and a battle with Valerie began. I watched through the transparent floor. She unleashed a Typhlosion, making me instantly aware that she must have gotten it from Professor Elm. Not only that, but it was pretty strong. I was aware that I was not her first Gym Battle.

I began to watch her technique. She was less strategic than she could be, but her Pokemon was incredibly strong. Typhlosion wiped out Valerie's team easily. Valerie let out a cry. "Wow. We don't usually get challengers as strong as you." I heard the faint voice of her say. The girl answered with something inaudible, Valerie pointed to the elevator, and I watched the girl ascend to my level. When she got there, I took out a Pokeball.

"Hello, trainer." I said. "Welcome to my Gym. As you may know, I specialize in flying type Pokemon. My name is Falkner, and what is your's?"

The girl was smirking rather arrogantly. She wore a yellow hat atop her teal colored hair, which jutted outwords behind her back. She had blue eyes, and wore a white jacket, red shirt, and yellow shorts.

She raised a Pokeball at me. "My name is Kris, and I am here to take your badge!"

I was taken aback by the blunt response, but was impressed by her confidence. "You'll have to earn it first." I answered with a smirk equal to hers.

"Gladly. Go, Typhlosion!"

"Fearow! Go!"

The battle had begun.

_Aha. I will leave you to wait for the battle. Hopefully I can make it decently entertaining. Wish me luck. :D_

_~Jay_


	3. Chapter 3

The Pokemon were released simultaneously. Fearow spread its wings, calling its name in a high pitched squawk. Typhlosion blew fire out of its nose, roaring as it did so. This seemed to be a battle of intimidation. I tensed. This was going to be stressful. The good stressful, though. The kind where you are playing a video game, and you are at the final boss. You get prepared, hyped, and begin your attempt to conquer.

Of course, Falkner never really related to that analogy. It was a thing he found highly discussed amongst the Internet.

"Gym Rules state that you go first, Miss Kris." I said. She nodded. "Typhlosion! Use Flame Wheel!"

Orange sparks flew up as the Pokemon enveloped itself in a round barrier of fire. It then started rolling, and went at Fearow. Fearow just…stood there.

"Waaaait for it." I said.

It was gaining on our position.

"Almost there."

It was insanely close.

"Fly."

The Pokemon flew up to perform a move common amongst flying types. That was, well….Fly. It shot up into the large airspace of the Gym, evading the attack just barely. Typhlosion uncurled to avoid hitting the wall, and that relinquished its barrier. Fearow swooped down and attacked, slashing it with it's beak at great speed.

"Augh. You okay, Typhlosion?" the girl asked, an expression mixed with awe and concern. Typhlosion got up, and it didn't look too hurt. It breathed a frustrated breath, once again showering the glass with some fire. Thankfully, it was a pretty sturdy floor, and I didn't see it melting under the heat.

The Pokemon roared, it's back blazing. Kris smiled deviously. "Mach Punch. Let's do it!"

The Pokemon once again went in for the assault, fist glowing white.

"Fly." I repeated once more.

Once again, Fearow flew up.

"Grab it!"

"Whaa?" my eyes widened as I saw Typhlosion reached up its other paw and tighten its claw around Fearow's leg. Fearow was stopped, and Typhlosion slammed it into the ground.

"Now it is time for a proper Mach Punch, isn't it?" Kris asked. Typhlosion almost seemed to smile as it brought its fist down on Fearow.

"Fearow! Drill Peck its face!" Falker called. Fearow's extremely long neck stared pecking at Typhlosion, forcing him to back off of it. Kris frowned. "Aaaw. I was sure I had it there." she murmured.

I grimaced. This was some battle. Maybe if I fainted Typhlosion, the rest of her team wouldn't be so hard to beat. It was worth a shot to try to knock it out as quickly as I could.

"Fearow!" I called. "Brave Bird!"

Kris looked at me with a confused face. Perhaps she didn't know the attack. Perfect. Fearow started to envelop itself in a blueish white light. It flew into the air, gaining speed, and flipped around. Before they knew it, it was heading in Typhlosion's direction.

Kris watched. "U-um…" she stammered. "Dodge!"

I didn't believe it would work. Fearow was fast on his own, but when you added the power of Brave Bird, it was unstoppable.

Yet, Typhlosion dodged.

I couldn't believe it. Fearow desperately tried to stop itself, but the attack ceased, causing recoil. Not only that, but the Pokemon was still going, and found itself going headfirst into the wall.

The Pokemon fainted.

We were both speechless for a few moments. Even Kris was surprised her Pokemon dodged so skillfully. Finally, I broke the silence.

"Fearow, return." I murmured, taking out the Pokeball and clicking the button. Red light engulfed the knocked out Fearow as he was sucked into his Pokeball.

I needed to knock this thing out fast. I did not want to end up like Valerie. If I didn't make this battle some sort of challenge, I would never have a chance to compete in the World Tournament. I would look like a fool.

"Noctowl. Your turn!" I called. The owl appeared, standing still and calmly observing Typhlosion. I had a plan. I just didn't know if it would work.

"Typhlosion! Flamethrower!" Kris called. The Pokemon's mouth started filling with flames, and when it seemed like there were enough, it shot them.

"Psychic! Just how we planned!" I called. Noctowl's eyes started to glow blue. Rather than Typhlosion being lifted, though, the Flamethrower was stopped midair. Noctowl closed its eyes for a moment, focusing and calming it's mind.

Then it opened them again.

The fire was sent back at Typhlosion. Stunned, it took the hit directly. Kris too was stunned. "what was that? Psychic as a Counter?" she called over the sound of the Flamethrower hitting. Wind rippled from the attack, the sheer force being incredible. Typhlosion would have dealt a lot of damage if the move hit.

"Gust!" I Noctowl flapped it's wings, and what looked like a mini tornado rushed to Typhlosion, who was still crowded by smoke. It hit him, and it was all over. Typhlosion had fainted without even touching Noctowl.

Kris frowned. "Poor guy. Noctowl is mean." She murmured to her Pokeball. I smiled at the almost inaudible comment, as she got her next Pokeball out. "Go Bellosom!" she called. The small Pokemon appeared, dancing merrily. Though, looks can be deceiving.

I didn't know why this girl was sending out something like this against a flying type. No matter…

"Sleep Powder!" she called. A ton of powder was thrown on Noctowl before we could react. Before he knew it, the owl Pokemon was asleep.

"Hit him with Back to Back Magical Leaves!" Kris called, determination to win setting in to her voice. I became nervous. This was bad. Bellosom started hitting him with the razor leaves. I could easily knock the thing out, so I didn't have to put Noctowl through this torture.

"I will forfeit Noctowl if you stop!" I called. Kris nodded, commanding her Bellosom to due so. I returned Noctowl with an irked sigh, and called out my next Pokemon.

"Crobat! Go! Aerial Ace it!"

And in a blink of an eye, Bellosom was down under the powerful super effective attack. Kris jumped back in surprise. "Waah. How?"

She cursed. "Bellosom. You did your part. Furret, go!"

The Pokemon appeared. It was quite adorable, having plenty of soft fur on it to drive a little girl wide with adoration. Well, I was never good with children, so I didn't know.

"Crobat. Use Toxic!"

The potent sludge was shot across the room. Kris pointed at it, as it Furret was blind. "Roll to dodge it, and use Quick Attack!"

The Pokemon did so rather skillfully, the Toxic sludge hitting the ground in front of Kris. It then used Quick Attack, which did not inflict too much damage. I smiled. "Crobat. Use Wing Attack." I said. The Pokemon used that, swooping in and hitting the Furret with its wing. When it got close, though, Kris smirked. "Sand Attack."

Furret brushed it's paw at Crobat, and automatically sand came up into the bat's eyes. It drew back, making frustrated clicking sounds with its eyes firmly closed.

"Quick Attack!" Kris called, now that the opponent with temporarily blinded. I realized Crobat was in a tight squeeze, and that I underestimated this person. The Quick Attack hit, but Falkner had a position. "Crobat! Poison Fang in front of you! Quick!"

Crobat flashed its teeth at the area in front of it, and sunk its teeth into the Furret's tail. It wailed out, trying desperately to shake it. It being whipped around through the air cleared most of the sand out of its eyes, allowing Crobat to see its target. I had an opportunity. We had an opportunity.

"Wing Attack! While you are latched onto it!" I called. The Pokemon's wings glowed, and it unleashed one strong attack, unattaching itself from Furret. It flew into the wall, and fainted.

Kris pouted. "Dang. I thought I had a fool proof plan." she murmured, digging into her jacket. "Skarmory! Go!"

The steel bird appeared, spreading it's wings and letting out a call. I found myself intrigued by it. I had always wanted a Skarmory, but they were rare and not found near Violet City.

"It is beautiful. Such a shame that it needs to go down." I murmured, legitimate sadness in my expression. Though, despite what I said, Crobat looked very damaged.

"Crobat. Poison Fang!" I called, trying to get some extra damage before the inevitable KO. It landed, but Skarmory used Steel Wing and quickly KOed it.

"Return!" I called, taking out my next Pokeball. "Xatu!"

Xatu and Skarmory put up a heated battle of Steel Wings and Psychics, though, Xatu had a bit more endurance. Soon, Skarmory fell.

"My last Pokemon. I didn't want to use it…" Kris said, staring at the Pokeball. I wondered what it could be. Maybe an electric Pokemon…

I shivered. That would be terrible. Let's not think bad thoughts…

"Suicune! Go!"

_Well, Falkner is screwed…_


End file.
